Reviews

Jin was a Jdrama I have been rooting for until the second season came out. I was slightly disappointed with how things ended, maybe it's me or rather the romantic side of me got ahead and decided this drama would not be listed as one of my favorite watch of all time.

Setting that aside though, I still enjoyed Jin 2 in all it's glorious details about the Tokugawa-Shogunate era in Edo. I loved the cinematography and the actors. These actors by the way aren't like the average newbies or jpop idols who could only pose on screen and look good. These actors are veterans who has a couple outstanding dramas and movies under their belts to boast of.

My favorite character would be Tachibana Saki acted by Ayase Haruka. What's so interesting about her character is the fact that she's the only female doctor who has chosen her own path, away from a samurai clan. This being said, women with strong aspirations in life gives lasting impressions.

Music wise, the drama had a good OST. The ballad on every dramatic scene was in perfect sync and feel. I also like the theme song Itoshiki Hibiyo by Hirai Ken, it felt like every time I would hear it, I would feel Minakata Jin's internal turmoil.

I may not watch this again, but I would highly recommend it to people who like Japanese History and is into sci-fi-medical drama and all the likes.

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10

The best drama I have watched in a while. After watching many dramas, I was missing the magical spark, which made me fall in love with watching dramas.

Legend of Shen Li has an interesting start with a forbidden romance, strong FL, nice and graceful ML, cute side characters, quality music, action scenes and CGI. Occasionally the story feels like nothing is happening then boom, it gets interesting. Perhaps that's the only hindrance to not loving this.

The days I keep contemplating of dropping this show, it comes back with a banger episode that makes me swoon.
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Edit -

Loved the ending. So sweet. Worth the watch and the rewatch.

Things I liked
Shen Li's origin and her parents
Character Growth of Furong
Mofang's arc
Furong's Sister watching Furong's memories
The events leading to the wedding of Jin
Mortal realm scenes
Painting formation
ShenLi as Cluck Cluck

Things I didn't like
CGI fights though good were not my cup of tea

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I think most people are looking at the movie from a single perspective. Who loved whom was never really the issue; the movie is overflowing with modernistic themes (as many have already noted) and self-criticism is at the focus of the story.

One of the most noticeable indicators is how the Shinsen-gumi uniforms were completely off, as the Shinsen militia was famously known for their white-and-blue uniforms. Thus not including them in the movie was no mistake on the director's part. Another indicator is how we never really find out much about Kano's motives or his past and how inconclusive the ending is.

In fact, the whole movie is up for interpretation and not even watching it twice (which I did) would enable the audience to fully make sense of the events that happen throughout. In that sense, the movie tries too hard to be artistic or to transcend the setting and the time period into more abstract ideas and criticism pertaining to the modern Japanese society. What results is a messy string of scenes with characters we do not understand but somehow serve the director, Oshima's, overarching purpose.

The events could have been set in modern Japan for all we care and the story would have retained its flavor and may have even fared better (since the characters tote some very modern concepts of sexuality). That kind of flexibility is not necessarily so bad when the director is trying to get a certain message across, but the problem is when the characters are so simply caricatured.

In the end, I'm left with more questions than answers and I have no idea what I just watched. Is it art, a daring work that tackles eroticism? Is it a criticism of taboos (especially of the homosexual variety)? I don't know what 'Gohatto' is and I only have an inkling of an idea as to what it was supposed to stand for. Apparently, Oshima is no beginner when it comes to expressing what is, by society norms, considered taboo. Perhaps 'Gohatto' was yet another exploration of that taboo, which proved to be his last.

Back in December 1999, 'Gohatto' was a complete commercial success, but I wonder how many of the millions that flocked to see it left the cinema theaters with at least a basic understanding of what they've just seen.

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Lessons on Life, Love, and Letting Go

Moonlight Chicken is, arguably, the best BL series to come out of Thailand. If, that is, we regard it as BL at all. This series defies expectations associated with dramas from the BL genre many times over, while never quite betraying its roots as a BL drama. For a genre associated with same-sex romance, BL series seldom explore what being gay means to the characters, whereas that is the calling card for series in the LGBTQ genres. Rather than claim a confused sexual identity or espouse some version of “I don’t see gender,” Moonlight’s characters and themes are unapologetically gay. Where the typical BL series peddles an idealized courtship fantasy between virginal men aspiring to a meaningful first love (that will, obviously, last forever), this series focuses on men trying to recover from failed past relationships. The lead characters are neither virgins nor under the illusion that love will be permanent. Instead of two characters overcoming obstacles as they move toward something, this series centers on characters struggling in different ways to let go of their past. The shards of their broken prior romances comprise the obstacles to be overcome before they can contemplate moving on to someone new. Many of the support characters must also learn to let go of some event or person from their own past. These personal demons anchor their present and future. Moonlight Chicken is an extended rumination on the pain of letting go, rather than the straightforward courtship story many viewers might have expected. As a consequence its themes, characters, and plot obstacles will resonate to an audience both older and more conversant with life’s hiccups than the audience that consumes BL solely for the vicarious thrill of (re-)experiencing the bloom of first love. The fantasy elements of BL romances usually revolve around situations designed to infuse reliable doses of serotonin in the brains of viewers. Grounded in the rigors and mundanity of adulting, Moonlight Chicken eschews the fanciful for realism. Anyone who has been burned by love, struggled to make ends meet, or invested time in pursuing someone who is emotionally unavailable will relate to these characters.

At the center of Moonlight Chicken stand Wen and Jim, played by Mix and Earth respectively. The series marks the actors’ third pairing as the showpiece couple of a GMMTV BL series, after A Tale of Thousand Stars (2021) and Cupid’s Last Wish (2022). Wen and Jim showcase the actors’ emotional range better than their prior pairings, where the nature of the roles trapped those characters in a single lane. Here, Wen and Jim each have some emotional trauma to process—leftovers of events that unfolded before the two met—so that the actors have some real work to do. Before Wen and Jim can embark on a relationship themselves, each man must confront the emotional baggage he has carried from the past. Wen has recently left a relationship with Alan, who cannot understand why their relationship failed. Jim lost his lover twice. Once when he discovered that the man had a fiancée and a second time when an accident claimed the man’s life before he could choose which course to follow. In the five years since those events, Jim has never trusted another with his heart. That high wall effectively froze out Gaipa, whose mother runs the chicken stall that supplies the product for Jim’s restaurant. Rounding out the principal cast are a pair of high schoolers, whose incipient friendship blossoms into an incipient romance. Their tale provides a more traditional BL side story, to temper the angst of the main characters.

Steering the whole shebang was Aof, scriptwriter and director. His prior works often have moments where a semblance of queer authenticity crept into the BL proceedings. This go around, the studio allowed him free reign to represent an overtly gay sensibility. Another difference between Moonlight and most other BL series is that four characters—Wen, Jim, Alan, and Gaipa—are all out gay men, well-adjusted to and self-accepting of that identity. For these characters, being gay structures not just personal identity but also dynamics between themselves and their families, friends, co-workers, and lovers. It positions where they believe they fit within society, and what opportunities society offers and forecloses on that basis. Too often BL series believe having two men hop into a bathtub together suffices as a basis for “gay.” Moonlight Chicken understands the difference between gay-as-entertainment and commentary about gayness. In the later episodes, the series even gets a little preachy in its advocacy for accepting same-sex attraction as a perfectly ordinary type of human possibility.

The authentic queer sensibility emerges in the opening scenes of episode 1. A drunken Wen has patronized Jim’s late-night diner, only to pass out in a stupor. The type of person to take responsibility for the well-being of everyone around him, Jim stays with Wen until a friend can arrive to claim him. Because “plot requirements,” the friend never arrives. Instead, the two end up in bed that very night, after a carefully negotiated agreement that their sex was to be a no-strings attached one-night stand. They do not even know each other’s name. That sort of negotiation is quite common among gay men in real life but quite rare in BL. While exceptions exist, the standard BL character is shocked—absolutely stunned!—at the suggestion that two virile men could even contemplate a physical relationship outside of a genuine love. As everyone knows, sexual relationships cannot be consummated until after all the dramatic plot obstacles delaying courtship have been removed. Such thinking reflects the “good girl” standard, that very patriarchal prescriptive model of behavior that regulates the sexuality of single women. (Remember, BL originated as a genre written by women for women. That the sexual comportment of men sleeping with men in BL would resemble the expectations society foists onto women is unsurprising.) Moonlight Chicken favors the descriptive model—portraying how people actually behave in lieu of adhering to some moral standard. Even more than featuring four out gay men, that simple “no strings attached” negotiation helps make this GMMTV series the most authentically gay series ever to emerge from Thailand. That kind of queer authenticity, blended with the theme of letting go makes Moonlight Chicken a compelling drama.

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Well, this drama is undoubtedly a deserving hit in the area of kdramas. It's just that Kim Eun Sook is really one of the best screenwriters of kdramas, as she manages to create absolutely fulfilled and fresh stories, where even the secondary story-lines have their power. The only disadvantage of her works is that the last episodes become dragged and a bit too sweet but as it's something common in the dramas (the exception would be probably the best kdramas screenwriter Noh Hee Kyung, the author of That Winter the Wind Blows and It's OK, that's Love), I guess we should simply get used to it...
However, Goblin is my favorite Kim Eun Sook's drama and there are a lot of reasons. Firstly, here we find a really strong mystical atmosphere and an interesting world with its own rules (I cannot appreciate the perfect musical choice witch makes you really submerge into the fictional world). Also the humor side here is one of the best in the Korean area. Another wonderful thing is, obviously, an incredible cast and the diversity of original characters. It's really nice to see such a charming character as Lee Dong Wook's Grim Reaper, the main lead is also very good, then Kim Go Eun, Yook Sung Jae... And there are so many moments you can watch for a thousand of times and so few moments you prefer to skip... So, undoubtedly 10 ;)

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Watch if you are ready for a sad endings

Good story even if a short drama
Beautiful leads, i like the female lead beauty
others characters are okay
Well Acted you can be annoyed and then you will feel their pain and then annoyed then pity them
it would be nice if the story is done more elebarate
for me it would be much happier with a happy ending but story wise it was needed to end in such a way...
i can imagine this story to be a good foundation for a political historical and romantic plot...
but since its a short drama its okay to have sad ending since you have not invested too much time
I like the acting of both leads.

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I’m sorry I tried to love this show. I think Riley is an amazing actor and uhhh hello he is handsome as well. I didn’t feel the chemistry. It felt like the female lead didn’t have that UFF when it came down to the chemistry between them. This show felt stiff and nothing really dramatic happened well the type of dramatic I’m use to when watching dramas, it also felt like they were dragging out the storyline this show could have finished within 16 episodes. The ending was ridiculous. Gave me nothing in my opinion I literally felt like I wasted hours of my time that I could have been doing homework just to watch it only to realize the ending sucked! I really hope they don’t bother with a second season. It would be pointless.

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This drama isn't the kinda typical Korean drama you see everyday, this is actually different in a unique kinda way. Its story is based on true facts happening in the real world in terms of government policies, corrupt bloody acts of the government and how negatively it impacts on the lives of the citizens.
This drama deserves its praise for a high production quality and intense action scenes (quite comparable to Hollywood i must say). Great castes and impeccable acting. High emotional and nerve wrecking scenes.
Its filled with complicated plot twists, that were really annoying and got me racking my brain. That only made the drama more intriguing and entertaining. I enjoyed it! The romantic scenes between the two leads were really funny and lovely, my face hurts from all the smiles I flashed anytime they bring up the romantic feels, but most of all top notched action scenes, that really got me tensed and kept me at the edge of my seat at all times.
For a drama being entirely pre-produced, i'm really mind blown. I mean Korea rarely take the risks of pre-produced dramas being aired, at the risk of not satisfying the viewers. But this drama is so so good.
The fight for justice and power in this drama is just so balanced, can't be explained in words.
I must credit the male lead too, NO ONE COULD HAVE DONE JUSTICE TO CHA DAL GEON'S CHARACTER LIKE LEE SEUNG GI DID! His acting was on another level, very much different from all Korean actors I have watched act, his emotions were right on point. Honestly, i became a big fan of him after seeing him act in this drama, he is such a good actor, I was so impressed.
This drama probably declined in its rating due to its ending and the minor setbacks it had while the airing kept being postponed, its not like dramas like this give the feels of a happy ending.
Overall, my word for this drama is PHENOMENAL! 9.8/10????

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Learn to know the difference between hope and obsession !!!

Felt disappointed . I started this drama with a lot of enthusiasm and interest as i admire ju jing yi a lot. The ost is perfect, the acting is perfect and the cuteness present in the story is also perfect, and we can rewatch those cute scenes again and again but the plot is so complicated and the way of taking this drama has been the worst part. A lot of unecessary characters were introduced in the middle just to prolong the drama. What i don't understand is that the plot which they have taken is somewhat confusing and they should be very careful in taking it but i feel that they have just given up in the middle. The first 15 or 18 episodes have been perfect but after those it is just dragging and boring and i feel bad to give a review like this for the drama of ju jing yi but we have to accept the fact and should not be obsessed. The funny thing is the last fight of this drama, i think this is a low budget drama as the last fight is a war between two countries but there are not even 50 soldiers fighting the war and the actual comedy is that, in a war between two countries it is more like some wrestling competition and duels because one from each side are fighting once. I have never seen this kind of war before. Finally i hope the directors can make some good dramas in the future unlike this and i look forward to see the next drama of ju jing yi and wish her all the best for her next drama

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40 episodes are truly too long.

I recently completed watching this drama, it's not a romcom drama but it has all elements like humor, romance, life lessons, awareness about mental and physical health, cuteness and many more. This only has about 10% of love scene in it. This drama is more like family drama who continue to practice Traditional Chinese Medicine. The chemistry with M.L, it became quite good towards the middle Because they used to fight in the beginning.

Acting & Chemistry:-
The acting is solid, with Luo Yizhou and Zhao Lusi leading the cast. The lead actors Luo Yizhou and Zhao Lusi deliver standout performances with remarkable chemistry, making their on-screen romance both compelling and heartfelt. There are two more side couple stories. Their characters represents ‘ Yin and Yang ‘ thru the episodes. Supporting roles are seamlessly integrated into the storyline, adding a layer of realism and energy. These moments also serve as a backdrop for character development, highlighting personal growth and resilience.

Humor:-
Humor is a strong suit of "Gen Z," with the series featuring a number of funny moments that provide much-needed levity. The comedic elements are well-placed and add a light-hearted touch, though they occasionally feel inconsistent with the more serious tones of the drama. For me humor is a plus point of this drama.

Why 7.0 stars?
My overall impression of the drama is quite good. Still, there are some issues which I disliked. There were few frustrating episodes towards the end and some of the stories weren’t necessary to be included in the drama.
Some characters had extremely problematic personality traits that could not be overlooked, no matter how much they tried to redeem them at one point or another.
40 episodes are truly too long. It's dragging in general and forced plot would pop up from time to time.
Serious issues were also glossed over, ignored and not concluded. There was so much “side issues” going on that at one point I really didn't know what the actual story was.

overall If you like medical drama, family drama, funny/serious/romances then don’t miss it!

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Antihero and lying "rabbit" are wonderfully matched!

A vertically filmed micro drama (I rate these on their own sliding scale). General spoilers only. The actors are great, the plot is interesting, the script is good (even despite the mediocre translation where I watched it), and it's a tense yet fun watch. The dynamic between the lead characters is fascinating and well executed. It has a cat and mouse feel, except the FL actually holds a lot of power in the dynamic because of how the ML feels about her, and she purposefully lightly seduces him a few times. So, while the ML definitely has the air of a predator and the FL an air of prey, the role of the "cat" is sometimes a toss-up and can change multiple times in a scene. The two characters are very well matched in intellect, neither are all pure or evil, and they are obviously attracted to each other.

The lead actress (and editing) does a wonderful job showing the audience her true feelings while at the same time adjusting her outward appearance to best navigate or influence/manipulate the people around her depending on necessity and the situation. She seems meek and demure but is quietly smart and brave while pursuing her goals of saving her brother and getting revenge on the people who ordered their family to be murdered 3 years ago. She lies out of necessity (from her view, to protect herself and her brother), not because she's morally deficient.

The lead actor is perfect as the ruthless second son of a family that has always treated him abysmally. The way he can turn on a dime from a devil-may-care attitude to intense intimidation when interacting with everyone is fun to watch too. He can't help falling for the FL who is kind and brave with him, even though she keeps lying to him. It's easy to see in his micro facial expressions fairly early on that he wants to mean more to her. Later, he wants to be more than just a tool for revenge, but he's willing to be that tool if it keeps her by his side.

There are a few moments with high sexual tension and some kisses. Though the lips aren't shown during kisses, it was one of the rare productions where I didn't mind because those scenes and the chemistry still felt satisfying.

There are some of the typical tropes with vertical dramas but most are done well. The SFL was the only one I found annoying. She had no subtlety or nuance, either with the way the character was written, or the way it was acted. Her face kept making me think of an angry, crazily posessed goldfish, lol.

There's quite a bit of violence in this story, so you are forewarned. It includes whippings and beatings, a finger torture device, punches, stabbings, chokings, etc. Fake blood is used.

The ML does get physically aggressive with the FL (manhandling and choking), but to me it didn't have a sadistic drive to it as most of it usually happened after the ML uncovered one of her lies. It felt more born out of hurt, frustration, and a desire to possess. There are also some more tender moments between them, and the ML helps the FL quite a bit, which helped balance things out. The ML does have softer moments, but never becomes a total "puppy" in his expression of love, which I appreciated as that would have felt out of character.

General spoiler on the ending:
... ... ...
It is a tender happy ending. Though it's relatively short, it was still a satisfying scene to end on.
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I will definitely rewatch at some point.

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When it boils down to how much you can sacrifice for your people

Wow, wow personally having not found a cdrama that I have thoroughly enjoyed without skipping some parts this year... This has just been a surprise.
I really don't like stories with sad endings but there are usually expectations, and this...this was one of them

Love Ren Jialun in historical dramas, like under the power , one and only and now this!!! Aaah what a topping on the ice-cream 🤗.

The story was really well written, of course the slow burn romance was great but the mind games and twists and turns were well done... Of course there were some wth moments like the master ( one of the Yan sisters, not trying to see the picture even after Wei Zhao asked some really interesting stories.. but oh well, some people could be that stubborn.

The characters... Every one of them did their best! From main to supporting actors like the new young city lord, the personal guards of the two main characters Wei Zhao and shaojun, the eunuchs the maids the mother, the sister etc every one who got a chance at being shown did well love it... For someone to act and give rise to emotions even though it's just but a fictional story and to boot it's the whole cast... It's not easy so kudos... Cui ziming has really grown as an actor and I do believe he can grow more ...

Overall after being disappointed with most cdramas this year, this has actually saved it for me !!! Love it... Watch it guys .

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Brewing Love? More like Snoozing Lager—romance so flat it needs CPR and a shot of espresso.

6.5/10: A Frothy Mess That Goes Flat Fast

🍺 THE GOOD:

- **Kim Se-jeong as Chae Yong-ju** – Former special forces turned beer sales queen. Yes, she can kill a man and pitch a lager in one scene. Iconic, but wasted here.

- **Lee Jong-won as the sensitive brewmaster** – Looks like he cries to jazz and brews IPA with feelings. Sweet, but this ain’t *La La Land*.

- **Pretty scenery** – Countryside shots so nice, you’ll forget you’re watching a drama about *beer marketing*.

⚠️ THE "ALMOST, BUT..." MOMENTS:

- **Slower than foam settling on a flat beer** – The “slow burn” romance is more “no spark, just yeast.”

- **Subplots go missing like drunk texts** – Characters vanish, conflicts die, nothing really sticks.

- **Too much biz, not enough buzz** – It's more corporate training video than rom-com. I didn’t sign up for a business degree in Beer-onomics.

💔 STANDOUT SCENES:

- When Se-jeong’s character tries to emote and you’re like “girl, save yourself from this script.”

- Every time Min-ju stares into the distance like he knows he should’ve taken another role.

🎯 VERDICT:

Feels like they brewed this romance with expired hops—bland, confusing, and mildly depressing.
Watch if you're folding laundry. Skip if you value your sanity.

Best paired with:A real drink, a low attention span, and something else to do while it plays. 🫠🍺

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